Oregon trying to flip a Michigan football commitment, plus the latest on 5-star Andrew Babalola
Ohio State is a recruiting powerhouse, as Michigan football fans are well aware, but with Oregon’s official admission to the Big Ten this summer, there are more teams in the conference.
Armed with a sizable NIL war fund courtesy of Nike, Dan Lanning and associates have emerged as formidable recruiters, and the Ducks are currently focusing on Andrew Olesh, one of the top commits in the 2025 Michigan football recruiting class.
The 247 Sports composite rankings place Olesh, a four-star tight end, fourth at his position and 94th overall in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound player from Pennsylvania committed to Michigan football, defeating Penn State and Alabama in the process.
It will be interesting to watch what kind of movement the Oregon offer generates. Offers are one thing, but until the candidate visits the school, I don’t worry about a flip. Therefore, I will become more concerned if Olesh pays Eugene a visit.
I’m not too worried about it right now. Mason Graham was the subject of a similar Oregon action in the 2022 class, but nothing came of it.
A new candidate for Andrew Babalola’s 5-star rating
Andrew Babalola, a five-star offensive tackle, has helped Michigan football gain momentum. Based on 247 Sports aggregate rankings, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound lineman is ranked 27th overall in the 2025 class.
Earlier this summer, Stanford was thought to be the clear front-runner for the five-star phenom out of Kansas, but Michigan football’s official visit to him in June made a difference. But according to Steve Wiltfong of On3.com, Michigan’s action opened the way for Auburn and other parties as well.
Babalola is expected to be a member of the top class that the Tigers are assembling for 2025. Although Babalola’s initial goal was to tie the knot in August, he assured Wiltfong that his choice would not be made on August 13.
According to the On3 prediction machine, Stanford remains in the lead. With Michigan and Auburn putting pressure on him, I’m not convinced the Cardinals have an 88 percent chance of winning his pledge. However, a decision was anticipated soon, and Michigan was leading at the time.
